Cigarette-former.



Patented Aug. I2, I902.

a. s. nAmmonn.

CIGARETTE FORMER.

(Apph ahon fll dot 15 1901) No. 706,93I,

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE GEORGE s. HAMMOND, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CIGARETTE-FORMER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 706,931, dated August 12, 1902.

Application filed October 15, 1901. Serial No. 78,687. (No model.)

of great simplicity without any loose parts and which will enable either thick or thin cigarettes to be rolled or formed, as may be desired, and have the cigarette either tight or loose rolled to suit the taste of the smoker; to adjust the length of the former or device readily and quickly to suit different lengths of paper, thus enabling papers of varying lengths to be successfully used in the same former or device; to insure the closing of the ends of the tube of paper as the cigarette isformed, thus preventing the free escape of fine or granulated tobacco in the act of forming the cigarette, and to improve generally the construction of the former or device as to the component parts thereof; and the invention consists in thefeatures of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a top or plan view showing the preferred form of construction of the former or device, with the flap partially opened for the reception of the cigarettepaper and the tobacco; Fig. 2, a top or plan view with the flap closed; Fig. 3, a top or plan view with the flap open and inposition to carry thereon the made cigarette for its removal from the device or former; Fig. 4, a cross-section with the flap as in Fig. 1, showing the paper in place and the tobacco thereon; Fig. 5, a crosssection with the parts as in Fig. 2, showing the cigarette in its shaped condition; Fig. 6, a crosssection with the parts as in Fig. 3, showing the cigarette lying in the flap in position for removal from the former or'device; Fig. 7, a top or plan view of a modified construction for the former or device, the flap being omitted; .Fig. 8, a side elevation of the former or device of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a top or plan view showing another modification in the construction of the former or device, one of the plugs or stops being adjustably fixed, while the other plug or stop is hinged, so as to be swung clear of the end of the formingtrough; Fig. 10, a similar View to Fig. 9, showing the hinged plug or stop swung out of line to clear the end of the forming-trough; Fig. 11, a detail showing the adjustable plug or stop cl, carried bya hinged or swinging socket; Fig. 12, a cross-section through the former or device showing the free edge of the flap beveled, and Fig. 13 a cross-section through the former or device showing the free edge of the flap beveled on its exterior face and provided with a raised ridge or notch on its inner face; and Fig. 14, a crosssectional View of the trough and flap, showing the same fluted or corrugated.

The preferred'form of construction for the former or device is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6,

both inclusive. The former or device of the preferred construction has a main body or trough a, of the required length and depth to receive the cigarette-papers, for placing thereinto the tobacco from which the cigarettes are to be made. This main body or trough a may be made of sheet metal of any suitable character or of any material of a nature to be formed into a trough shape for receiving the paper and the tobacco. A flap I), also of sheet metal and of semicylindrical shape in crosssection, is hinged at one edge to one edge of the body or trough a by a suitable hinge or connection c, which will permit the flap to be swung over and away from the open side of the body or trough. The free edge of the flap b, if the metal or material of which it is formed is sufficiently thin, can be left intact, or theedge can be beveled on one side, so as to leavea sharp edge I), as shown in Fig. 12, which gives an increased bite on the paper in drawing the paper tight around the tobacco in making the cigarette, and, if desired, the inner face of the flap at the free edge can be formed so as to have a ridge or recess 12 which serves as a grip for the inner fold of the cigarette-paper to prevent the cigarette from shifting its position or unrolling as the paper is drawn tight.

One end of the body or trough has an adjustable plug or stop cl, which is held in a or stops.

, ertion of a little force on the sition, and the clasp or socket is surrounded in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 by a sliding retaining-band f to slip over the end of 'thefiap and hold the flap closed when the former is out ofuse. The opposite end of the body or trough a has a plug or stop g, which may be either adjustable or fixed, and this plug or stop is carried by aclasp or socket h, wl1ich, as shown, iscontinuous, but'which might'be a slotted clasp or socket similar to e, in which case both plugs or stops would be adjustable instead of only one, though for general use one adj ustable plug or stop is deemed sufficient. The inner end of each plug or stop extends into the body or trough and forms a rest or support for the ends of the flap'in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, so that when the flap is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, a firm support therefor will be formed by the plugs The plug or stop (1 when only one adjustable plug or stop is used can be ad-. vanced and receded for its inner end to be the required distance from the inner end of the plug or stop 9 to leavea length of space for the length of paper, and when adjusted the plug or stop will'be held in place against ordinary usage by the friction of the slotted clasp or clamp, which friction, however, is not strong enough to prevent the advancing and receding of the plug or stop with the expart of the user of the former or device.

In use the adjustable plug or stop is moved in or out, as required, for the length of cigarette-paper to lie between the inner ends of the two plugs or stops, with but little, if any, space between the plugs or stops and the edges of the paper, so that when the paper is rolled into shape its edges will abut or nearly abut the end faces of'the plugs or stops, thus preventing escape of tobacco at the ends of the paper. The flap b is opened in use, and a leaf or sheet of cigarette-paper is laid in the main body or trough a of the former or device and is held therein by the tip of the first finger of the hand,which holds the former or device, or in any other suitable manner, it being understood that the former or device is held by one hand'in practically; a horizontal positi0n,and ordinarily the left hand performs this work with the thumb resting against'the end of the flap and the fingers against the back or outer face of the body or'trough.

The adjustable endplug or stop is then moved so as to leave the space between the ends of the plugs or stops the same as ora trifle longer than the length of paper, as above described. The tobacco is then placed in the paper and is spread evenly in the space between the plugs or stops on the paper'in the main body or trough'with the fingers of the unemployed hand or otherwise, and afterthe tobacco is partly spread the finger-tip of the employed hand holding the paper in place can be withdrawn, as the tobacco will retain the paper in the main body or trough of the former or device. The side edge of the paperwhich overlies the flap is turned down upon the tobacco and is there held while the opposite edge of the paper is turned. thereover, and this overlapping edge of the paper is drawn tightly over the edge of the flap in order to draw and tighten the paper around the tobacco with a sufficient tension to draw the cigarette as a whole closely against the inner face of the flap,-which causes the edge of the flap to grip the inner fold of the paper, preventing the cigarette as a whole from shifting its position or unrolling. The cigarette as thus formedisto be held without relaxing the overlapping edge of the paper firmly against the inner face of the flap by the tension of the paper, preferably using the left hand for the purpose, which permits the left thumb to be placed upon the cigarette at the open space between themain body or trough and the flap of the former ordevice, and in this condition the main body or trough is turned away from the fiap, usingthe unemployed hand, which turns the cigarette out from the main body or trough upon the flap, the thumb of the retaining-hand holding the cigarette upon'the fiap, while the fingers of that hand hold the loose edge of the paper against the under side of the flap. The cigarette is nowcompletely formed and is removed from the flap-by sliding it along the flap lengthwise untilthe end of the flap is clear of the end of the c.igarette,and when the cigarette is removed the loose edge of the paper can be moistened and sealed in the usual way, or, if desired, the cigarette may be moistened for sealing before it is turned out from the.

trough.

The device is very simple in construction and will perform the required work of making cigarettes in a positive and reliable manner, enabling cigarettes to be either tight or loose rolled, as may be desired, and permitting large or small sized cigarettes to be made with the same former or device., The adjustable end plug or stop insures the'adaptation of the former or device to cigarette-papers of varying lengths by simply advancing or receding the adjustable plug or stop, or if both plugs or stops are adjustable then adjusting either or' both of them, as may be desired. The flap can be turned so as toleave a clear space for the insertion of the paper and drop I ping the tobacco thereinto, as shown in Fig.

4, and when the paper and tobacco are in place the flap can be closed so as to have the paper receive the tobacco, as shown in Fig.5, and when the cigarette is shaped the main body or trough can be turned away from the flap for the formed cigarette to lie in the flap formed into shape and removed very quickly and without any liability of the escape of fine orv granulated tobacco, when used for cigarettes, at the ends of the paper, as the plugs, or stops will hold the ends of the paper closed' until the tobacco is sufficientlycompacted within the paper, so as to be held therein when the cigarette is removed from the former or device.

It is possible and practical to employ successfully a construction of main body or trough having atone or both of its ends an adjustable plug or stop, and a construction of thisnature is shown in Figs.,7 and S, in which the main body orxtroughc is of the same general formation and construction as the body or trough already described for the construction of Figs. 1, 2, and3, having at each end, however, in the construction of Figs.,7 and 8 a continuous clasp or socket, one of which, a has a diagonal thread or indentation 6 which furnishes a means ,for ad-. vancing andreceding the adjustable plug or stop, (L the turningof the plug or stop, causing the diagonal thread or indentation to ope erate as a screw on' the plug or stop, and the other end has a plug or stopg' and a clasp or socket h, correspondingto the same parts in theconstructionof Figs. 1, 2, and 3. More over, ascreW-threaded plug d maybe em-. ployed, as shownin Figs. 9 and 10, the threads,

of which enter the thread (2 of the clasps 6 The use of the former or device of the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is substantially the same as already described,.so far as entering-the sheet of paper and adjusting the end plug or stop and depositing and manipulating the tobacco in thepaper are concerned.

The omission of the flap necessitates the fold:

the inner, fold of thepaper when the tension. draws the tobacco toward it.

After the paper has been drawn sufficiently tight around, the tobacco, the overlapping edge is held firmly against the outer face of .the body or trough by the fingers of one hand with the thumb of that hand upon the cigarette, and in this condition the body or trough is gently turned anddrawn awaywith the unemployed hand, which movement causes the cigarette to slide from the body or trough and remain in the hand between the fingers and thumb.

by which it is held, when the loose outer edge which lies across the linger-tips can be moistened and sealed. as usual; but, if desired, the edge of the paper may be moistened for sealing before the cigarette is removed from.

the main body or trough; I

The essential features of construction which enter into the former or device of this invention are the main body or trough for forming the cigarettes in connection with end plugs or stops, oneor both of which'are adjustable, and various arrangements for removing the cigarette after formation from the body or trough can be employed. the cigarette into a cooperating flap or turningthe body or trough away from, the ciga-.

rette, as already described, an end plug or stop, preferably the unadjustable one, can be carried by a clasp or socket h, attached to the end of the body or trough by ahinge i, as shown in Figs. 9 and'10, so that when the cigarette is formed in themanner described for the construction of Figs; 7 and 8 the hinged end plug or stop can be turned out of line with the .end of the body or trough, as shown in Fig. 10, whichpermits thecigarette to be slipped lengthwise out of the body or trough or the trough tobe withdrawn .withi the cigarette held in the hand with its over-. lapping edge free to be moistened and sealedin the usual manner. It is evident that the adjustable plug orstop could be carried by a. hinged clasp or socket, as shown in Fig. 11, in.

which the clasp or socket of Fig. 7, with its advancing thread or indentation, is attached by: a hinge j to the end of thebody or trough,so. that it can be swung out of line of the end of the trough for removalof the cigarette, and it,

is also evident that both endplugs or stops could be carried by hinged sockets or clasps,if. so desired, so that either end plug or stop could.

and when in an adjusted position held thereinpermanently until the paper, to-the length of which the space between the plugs or stops is adjusted, has been used up, so that it is only necessary to set the plugs or stops for one sheet of paper in a package, as the remaining sheets will be of the same length. -The former or device, irrespective of its details of con-- struction, so longas it has a body or trough and an adjustable end or ends, possesses the advantages and utility set forth for the con- Instead of turning- ICC struction of Figs. 1, 2, and 3; but the construction of said figures is the one preferred for general use. Theflap formation when the flap is closed makes, in connection with the main body or trough, a perfect mold in which to shape the cigarette, as shown in Fig. 5, and it is preferred to have the flap of a length to overlie the endsof the plugs or stops; but a flap foreshortened at each end is practical for use, and with" a foreshortened flap construction, it so desired, and the main body or trough and the flap might be made of corrugated material instead of plain material, as shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cigarette-former, the combination of a body or trough, a flap hinged to one edge of the body or trough, and end plugs or stops, one of which is adjustable for spacing the distance to suit the requirements of and furnish abutments for the ends of different lengths of paper, substantially as described.

2. In a cigarette-former, the combination of a body or trough for receiving the paper and tobacco, and a plug or stop at each end of the body or trough, for forming an abutment for each end of the paper against escape of tobacco in shaping the cigarette, one of the plugs being adjustable to vary the length of space in the body or trough, substantially as described.

3. In a cigarette-former, the combination of a body or trough for receiving the paper and tobacco, a clasp or socket at each end of the body or trough, and a plug or stop carried by each clasp or socket and forming an abutment for each end of the paper and the tobacco in shaping the cigarette, one of the plugs being adj nstable to vary the length of space in the body of the trough, substantially as described.

4. In a cigarette-former, the combination of a body or trough for receiving the paper and tobacco, a clasp or socket at each end of the body or trough one of which is hinged to the body or trough, and a plug or stop carried by each clasp or socket and forming an abutment for each end of the paper in shaping the cigarette and permitting the withdrawal of the cigarette by swinging the hinged clasp or socket out of line of the end of the body or trough, substantially as described. 5. In a cigarette-former, the combination of a body or trough, a flap hinged to one edge of the body or trough, a clasp or socket at each end of the body or trough, and a plug or stop carried by each clasp or socket and forming an abutment for each end of the paper in shaping the cigarette and for the inner face of the end of the flap, substantially as described.

6. In a cigarette-former, the combination of a body or trough, a flap hinged to one edge of the body or trough, a clasp or socket at each end of the body or trough, a plug or stop carried by each clasp or socket, one 'plug or stop adjustable in its clasp or socket for spacing the distance between the plugs or stops to furnish abutments for the ends of papers of varying lengths, substantially as described.

' 7. In a cigarette-former, the combination of a body or trough receiving the paper and tobacco, a flap hinged at one edge of the body or trough, a clasp or socket at each end of the body or trough, and a plug or stop adjustably carried by each clasp or socket for spacing the distance between the plugs or stops to furnish abutments for the ends of papers of different lengths, substantially as described.

GEORGE S. HAMMOND. Witnesses:

THOMAS vA. BANNING, OSCAR W. BOND. 

